41 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 41 weeks

Size of Baby : Actually 20" long & 7 lb 9 oz

Total Weight Gain : ~24 lbs. I started losing weight after 40 wks. 

Maternity Clothes :  Can't wait to have so many more options that fit comfortably. Even tho I'll be in maternity clothes for a while, I won't be nearly as limited. 

Best Moment This Week : Finally meeting Cole! God's answers to prayer that got us here. 

Gender : It's a boy! Really and truly!! :)

Movement : He squirmed and moved all the way to the end. Feet pushing in my side & ribs and head crushing my bladder make me wish he wasn't quite such a mover ;)

Food Craving : I've been trying to eat lots of fruit and veggies. 

What I Miss Most : I missed being able to lie on my back. I missed being able to walk without my pelvis hurting and back aching. 

Sleep : It's been rough. And every morning when I wake around 3-4am, I've been sad that labor hasn't started yet. Some times I just can't turn off my brain and fall back to sleep. I spent a lot of the last week, all 100% of my last 2 nights, in the recliner. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : Settling into life as a family of four and getting over the worst of the postpartum. 

Belly Button : Outtie with stretch marks all around it. :-/

Symptoms : Is grumpiness a symptom? ;-) I have struggled to have patience waiting for this one to come. 

All the usual symptoms, plus pre-labor symptoms - loose pelvis plus pain, weight loss, bloody show, etc. 

Compared to last time : Last time my parents were visiting and we were waiting anxious for Ash to come before the end of their trip. This time we've been facing Josh's leave ticking down and feeling the same need for Cole to come soon.  

40 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 40 weeks. Due date. Any day now, Cole; any day now. Doctor offered to strip my membranes, but I'm not ready for that. Thursday we'll check vitals and fluids, and possibly induce at 41 wks on Friday. Hoping and praying Cole comes on his own before all that mess.

Size of Baby :  ~20" long & ~7.5 lb. Of course we'll find out exact measurements soon :)

Total Weight Gain : ~24.5-25.5 lbs, depending on the day and my fiber intake. ;)

Maternity Clothes :  Wearing the same few outfits over and over. Absolutely nothing is comfortable. I barely have anything that's bearable and covering. 

Best Moment This Week : It's a tie between Josh cleaning the house and Josh taking care of the yard. It's so nice to be caught up on stuff I couldn't do for the last month or two, between my energy and aches and carpal tunnel. 

Gender : It's a boy!

Movement : He's really running out of room in there. But I never worry about when I last felt him move b/c he squirms off and on all day! (and night :-O)

Food Craving : I've been eating fruit like it's going out of style, partly for craving, partly for fiber. Cantaloupe, watermelon, peaches, apples, berries...whatever's on sale. 

What I Miss Most : Comfort. Being comfortable really is a foreign concept these days, except in the pool on a nice day. I love the pool. <3

Sleep : One night I only peed once; probably hadn't hydrated enough that day. Another night I was up 3-4 times to pee. I've been experimenting with a variety of pillow combinations; none of them are perfect but they all have their merits. Lately my hips haven't been surviving the night, so the last few nights I've been going downstairs to the recliner to finish that last couple hours of sleep. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : I can't wait till I'm not in waiting mode. I hate not knowing when. I hate hoping every day that "today's the day". I hate ending every day thinking "maybe tomorrow". I really just can't wait to start getting settled. 

Belly Button : I'm so angry at this stupid kid. Just this week I've developed horizontal stretch marks above my belly button. 80 wks of pregnancies w/o a mark. I told him it's a sign that he should come out now. There's REALLY no more room. 

Symptoms : Same old, plus...

My hips/pelvis continue to loosen; they hurt more than ever, both when I move (esp the transition from sitting to walking) and when I sleep. 

BHicks pick up in frequency and intensity in the evenings just like they did with Ash (but are gone by morning). A sign that the end is coming. 

I've had some back pain that wasn't just the usual ache. I'm hoping it's also a sign of the beginning of the end. 

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same. This pregnancy has been a little harder - morning sickness lasted longer, reflux a little worse, carpal tunnel obviously worse, I've felt and looked bigger, etc - but overall they've been pretty parallel.

40 weeks. Ready to pop! :)

39 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 39 weeks. We're finally down to the home stretch. I told Josh last night, even if he waited till the latest possible to come, we're still down to the end now.

Size of Baby :  ~20" long & ~7 lb. Of course we'll find out exact measurements soon :)

Total Weight Gain : ~24.5 lbs. Perfect. Exactly where I wanted to be.

Maternity Clothes :  Wearing the same few outfits over and over. At home I can often be found without pants! :-D Comfort is key. 

Best Moment This Week : Grocery shopping, a lady came around the corner and looked at me and said "you are so adorable pregnant!!" The lady up the aisle said "I was gonna say the same thing!" Never fails to make you feel good, even if it is just nice genes. :)

And we had a great play-date/mommy-date today at the park with Corrina & Nathan. I didn't get any pictures, but the boys had SO much fun playing at America the Beautiful park, and we had good fellowship.

I've missed Jack a ton, but Ash and I have had some good bonding time this week. I'm feeling a little bit emotional that we're at the end of our just-the-two-of-us phase. Tomorrow begins Josh's 3 wks home, and before he goes back to work we'll have added Cole to the mix, and it'll never REALLY be just the two of us again. Sure, special dates together and such, but not the easy day-to-day undivided way it's been. But then again, Ash interrupted the thing Josh & I had and we wouldn't have it any other way, so I know it'll be okay in the end.

Gender : It's a boy! Although I keep having these dreams that we find out at delivery he's actually a girl. LOL

Movement : He puts pressure all over the place squirming around in there, but he just doesn't have enough room for the kicks and jabs he used to do. I made Josh watch my belly last night to see the "alien" belly moving itself.

Food Craving : I've fluctuated between junk cravings and healthy ones. I'm trying hard to keep them in check so I can keep my weight where I want it, and also his. I don't need to deliver a 10lb baby! :-D

What I Miss Most : Moving like a normal human being. Fingers that don't tingle. Lying on my back. 

Sleep : Waking up all night long. Peeing even more often. Reflux or hip pain also causing disruptions. Or Ash. Usually I can go back to sleep, but sometimes I end up staring at the ceiling for a while. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : Meeting him. Nursing again. Seeing Ash be a big brother. Seeing Josh fall in love again.

Belly Button : same, little outtie.

Symptoms : The reflux is pretty bad, tho I haven't been avoiding trigger foods either! Last night at book club was quiche with tomatoes in it and cookies with chocolate chips in them... did that stop me?? NO WAY! :) I'm definitely at the max for Zantac, and probably overdosing Tums (I can't remember sometimes if I took them or not).

The cortisone shots ended up making the carpal tunnel bearable. My fingers still tingle all day, and I have to be careful not to tweak my hands. I'm still wearing my braces to sleep, and sometimes during the day (ie for driving), but at least I can go chunks of the day without them. I'm not crying at the end of the day anymore. 

Otherwise, typical 39 wk back aches, hip pains, CONSTANT peeing....

Compared to last time : Pretty much the same, just a little more eager to be done. I think a big part of that is the carpal tunnel. I've got a LOT more functionality back after the injections, but it still affects my every day, and I'm eager to be done with it. And the other big part is trying to keep up with a toddler - who knows things are changing soon and is acting out in weird ways and being more needy than ever before - which leaves me completely exhausted some days. Especially if I worked out or had to run errands that particular day... which is almost every day. Yep, I'm ready to be done. Ready to be lighter. Ready to be able to take ibuprofen. Ready to hold that precious boy in my arms and start getting to know and love him too.

39 weeks!!

38 weeks - Cole

Pregnancy Highlights:

How Far Along : 38 weeks

Size of Baby :  ~19.5" long & ~7 lb

Total Weight Gain : ~24 lbs. My appetite seems to be slowing down a little. 

Maternity Clothes :  I actually bought a new maternity shirt this week b/c my short sleeved options for keeping my belly covered are so scant. (See pic below)

Best Moment This Week : When the pain of my cortisone injection started to fade and mobility started to return. And Eve's baby shower; what a blessing that was. And brunch with my sister today was pretty awesome. We don't get together often enough.

Gender : It's a boy! I can't wait to hold him.

Movement : He's making the most of his cramped quarters. Every once in a while he moves so strong it hurts, but usually he just squirms b/c it's getting tight.

Food Craving :  The cooler rainy weather we got this week made me crave a mocha. Not willing to pay the reflux remorse though! :) I've been wanting pizza and finally got some this week. It hit the spot!

What I Miss Most : Feeling like I can physically manage. Between my belly, my back aches, and my carpal tunnel, I'm having to ask total strangers for help with things. :-P  Sometimes reasonable things like lifting heavy objects; sometimes ridiculous things like opening containers for me.

Sleep : Some nights I'm staring at the ceiling in the wee hours. Some nights I'm only waking twice. I've kept the maternity pillow all the way to the end this time. But I miss my hubs and look forward to a time when snuggling is more comfortable and less hassle. 

What I Am Looking Forward To : I'm sad that Jack's last day is Monday, but a little glad I'll have one less person to be responsible for since I can hardly keep up with them these days. I'm super excited that Josh's leave starts a week from Monday (unless Cole decides to come more than a week early). If Cole holds off till around his due date, I've got a honey-do or honey-help list a mile long to keep Josh busy anyway. It'll be so nice to have an extra pair of hands around to keep up the house. 

Also, movie date tonight :) Maybe the last for a while. 

Belly Button : same; outtie. 

Symptoms : carpal tunnel is the bane of my existence. Mornings are almost ok, but by the end of the day my hands make me wanna cry. Hoping the second cortisone shot this morning helps. Icing them a couple times a day gives at least temporary relief, so I'll probably be doing that till Cole comes.

Otherwise, it's mostly reflux, back aches, hip pains, and the notable waddle. 

Compared to last time : except carpal tunnel, it's the same. I feel like I might be carrying a little lower than last time? Maybe. A little. 

No makeup, braces on my hands... real life this week.